Thursday

Today is Thursday. It is 2 p.m. on Thursday. This is the end of the week to most. This is one week after our Grace's birthday. It has been a whirlwind. Actually, life is a whirlwind. It seems that one minute I was getting married to the love of my life, throwing that beautiful bouquet and 20 minutes later, our baby is blowing out the candles on her 16th birthday cake.

Really. REALLY. When our babies were born, I remember hearing friends and family say things like,"Oh, they grow so fast!"......"Treasure this time in your life"......"Enjoy the baby time because later.....".....on and on and on. I remember thinking. I do treasure this time. They grow so fast....it seemed that folks who had that bittersweet message to share had raised their children and were looking back to their baby days.



Well...here I am. A mom who has spent almost everyday with these babies since they were born. Wow....it really does go so fast. A minute ago, Biff and I were pulling Grace and T.J. in an L.L.Bean Sled and now they're talking about what kind of car they want! We went from Cozy Coupe to "Do you think I could get a Jeep?"

It is bittersweet. These days have been more than I could have dreamed of.....mostly the good....the love, the sweetness and the fun along the way. Even as I write, I do look back at those Kodak memories....you know...with the music, the shiny happy faces, the beautiful scenery, the adorable faces of families and puppies. That's the way we look back.

AND THEN, we have the other memories. The days where we didn't have a moment to get to the bathroom....and if we did, we had company...those innocent faces who just needed us nearby. The ringing doorbells that ended naptimes. The runny noses that turned into ear infections in the middle of the night. The tantrums. The broken bones. The tantrums. The homework. The cranky days.

Somehow, those days seem few. Somehow, memories allow us to see the joy of it all....and the difficult times mellow in our minds. Unless, of course, we look back. exaggerate and laugh at the whole adventure. And, it has been an adventure!

Another Snow Day

Snow day called today due to icy conditions this morning and more snow and ice this afternoon....soooooooooo, I met a friend for early morning coffee in town. That was a treat to get out early on one of many snow days.

I spent a few quiet moments in the library......to catch my breath after hearing the total of our overdue fees....$123.93! Phew! There were some movies that had been returned and some books on tape.......remember "Simplify Your Life" Ahhhhh...the ironies of life.

Beach Day

Everyday is beautiful at the beach! After coffee, errands and the library, I went home to get the dogs and took them to the beach.....hoping that it would be quiet and I could let the dogs run hard for some real exercise. With snow up to their ears, it's hard for them to plow through the deep, fluffy, white blanket we used to call lawn.

Snow and Sand

Snow at the beach. When he#@ freezes over......give you ice in the winter.....life in New England!

Running Wild at the Beach

Happy doggies!

Beach Day

Everyday is beautiful at the beach! After coffee, errands and the library, I went home to get the dogs and took them to the beach.....hoping that it would be quiet and I could let the dogs run hard for some real exercise. With snow up to their ears, it's hard for them to plow through the deep, fluffy, white blanket we used to call lawn.

Another Snow Day

Snow day called today due to icy conditions this morning and more snow and ice this afternoon....soooooooooo, I met a friend for early morning coffee in town. That was a treat to get out early on one of many snow days.

I spent a few quiet moments in the library......to catch my breath after hearing the total of our overdue fees....$123.93! Phew! There were some movies that had been returned and some books on tape.......remember "Simplify Your Life" Ahhhhh...the ironies of life.

Claire's Snowman

My niece just texted this photo to me. She built this enormous snowman on Sunday. We chatted on facebook tonight. I asked her to post her snowman on facebook.

My niece is 26. I love her spirit. I always have. She has always been a gift in my life. My niece Claire taught me to get outside of myself.....when I was in my twenties......and relatively self involved.

Claire changed me. She was the first person in my family who was younger than me. She showed me the world....through the sweet innocence of a child. Her world changed mine.

Children have that kind of power! They have power they are unaware of.....it is magnificent power. Love. Sweet. Gentle. Pure. With no expectations. More of a gift! Unaware of their power, they smile at us or tell us a story...and we are captured by them....and their world.

Now Claire is in her twenties. I'm delighted to see her spirit as I know it. Sweet. I'm tickled that she texted her snowman to me. Did I ever tell you that she texts me a photo of her Christmas tree every year? After it's decorated. I love her spirit! And I love my connection with my twenty something niece ......she is a gift in my life.

Here we go again.....

More milk. Again. Snow. Lots more snow. Lots and lots more snow. It's o.k. with me. I love it...still. I love that it snows and it slows us down. We all need to be slowed dowan from time to time...if we don't slow down for ourselves, it seems something beyomd our control helps is to slow down. Weather, feeling under the weather, a car won't start or a repairman takes forever to arrive.... that's my signal. Slow down.signals. Not everyone sees them because of life's busyness. Sometimes there are su tle signs. Do you look for them? Do you notice? Slow down. Look at things differently today. Look for signs from above. Be aware of people's words...do they sound familiar...have you heard them before? Is there something you've heard again and again.....but you haven't listened. Shhhhhhh. Quiet. Stop. Look. Listen. Take time to slow down and be still. Still enough. See what happens. Slow down.

Oh my goodness....this has been a crazy winter. I love it! We have had so many snow days and early dismissals and 90 minute delays, I'm hoping our children will be out of school by 4th of July!

More snow to come.....in the early morning hours! Grace and T.J. have not had a full week of school since before Christmas vacation. Crazy. Yet, I love it.

Again, I will say this......I love winter and snow and snow days.....as long as I don't have to go to work and wear pantyhose! That's that. If women's rights and all of that I am woman hear me roar stuff were truly serious, they would toss pantyhose out the window. A friend of mine from my Brooks Brothers days used to say that if we were at war with another country, we should just have their soldiers have to wear pantyhose for a day......we could end war.

Lots to say. Lots to do. Lots to think about.

Yet, lately, I have felt sad about my blog. My writing is not as frequent. I love to write. I have so much to tell. Still, it is just for me.....but then, it's not. It happens. I write. I write. I write. It's hard to have so much to say and so little time to sit down at the computer. Especially, when the computer has died. Yes...died. A few weeks ago.

I love to tell stories about the stuff that happens in life....how I see it. Thankfully, I have friends who share my sense of humor. I get feedback. I makes me happy to share and know that others understand or share some of my quirky perspective.

Not here. Nope. No comments. No growing followers. I don't even know if there are readers! Still, I waste my time thinking of whether or not to stop. Then, I stop...and think....this is MINE. I have been doing this since October 2009. That's a long time for me. I was more religious for the first year. THen I had computer issues. Camera issues. Phone issues. Camera issues again. Computer issues again. Phone issues again. And I go on and on and on.

Still, I wonder. Then...I think. It's fun for me. Sometimes it feels like pressure when I have some techo troubles. Or life pressures. It's hard to do everything and feel like it'sbeing done well. But then, I remind myself about what I say to our kids.....Just do your best. You don't have to be THE best but you can always give it your best. Perfect is impossible. Perfect is really no fun.

So, I write. Even if no one reads. Even if friends don't read. Even if some of my own family members don't check it out. Really. It's o.k. I like to write. I always have.

PINK!

Pink will make it okay...won't it? With a lime green pinstripe. You know, something subtle. Flashy just wouldn't work for a mimivan mama on the go. Speaking of go.... I have been going and doing all week...for the birthday girl. Sweet 16. Our baby! Tonight the festivities begin .....again.

Plowed out by a pro

Back hoe Bob does it again!

Minivan Mama!

Car in shop....birthday frenzy....lots of sweet 16 friends for food and fun.....what's a mom to do? Rent a snazzy minivan! Oxymoron....I think so. Yet, I'm practically on line to get one for me! Come on! I can fit wveryone...kids, dogs, cats, skis, ebay, groceries, beach toys, friends, babies, arts and crafts, gardening supplies........and much more. Look at the room in this thing! I'm drivimg a school bus.....and I'm loving it! Who EVER will believe me? Who? AND I'm not even kidding! It's awesome! Uh oh.....there goes the neighborhood. Do you think they have them in piink?